Page 126 of Till Death Do Us Part

With the family.

With my real family. The only one that really mattered.

“That sounds wonderful.”

Epilogue

vera

I suppose wedding day nerves were to be expected. But nonetheless, Petra snorted, leaning against the wall, rolling her eyes at me in the mirror.

“Look at you,” she said. “Getting all nervous and emotional about marrying your wife.”

“I don’t see any reason not to push you out the window right now,” I said. She sighed.

“Not really fair saying something like that. I can’t fight you on your wedding day. Even if you’re already married to the bride.”

“Maybe one day you’ll understand, if you’re able to find someone who can stand you,” I said, adjusting my suit jacket one more time. The door swung open behind me, and Caitlyn came in with her hair done up in an elegant bun, soft makeup around her eyes that crinkled as she laughed at me.

“Oh, look at you,” she said. “I’ve never seen you look nervous before. Over marrying your wife?”

Petra threw her hands up. “That’s what I was saying!”

Caitlyn wrinkled her nose. “Oh. I take it back then.”

“Hey?” Petra gestured wildly. “First a bride on her wedding day and now a woman in a wheelchair? Why do I keep getting attacked by people I can’t fight back?”

“You’ll live,” I said, turning back to the mirror.

I looked fine. I wasn’t the type to care about my appearance, and this was no exception. Fussing with my suit was just a pretense for what I was really nervous about.

I didn’t know how to be a wife, how to devote myself to a woman in the way I wanted to for Elaine.

But then again, I already had been.

We’d been married for months now, as the manor became home and we’d established our presence in Merona. Elaine had taken quickly to her role, representing the family alongside me, and we’d had our fair share of challenges both public and private.

All in all, it was smooth. I’d only had to kill one person who made the mistake of attacking Elaine. I made enough of an example of the poor fool that nobody else was likely to try it any time soon.

And everyone knew we were married. Those rings we’d picked up the day after we’d met, just to wear to look like we were married, fast became symbols.

But the first wedding had been a weapon I’d been using, trying to kill her. This one legally meant nothing, and emotionally, it meant everything.

I adjusted my tie again. Petra laughed.

“You look fine,” she said. “Elaine’s gonna be happy.”

Caitlyn wheeled her chair up next to me. “She will,” she said. “She’s loved everything you’ve been so far.”

“Please. I don’t need reassurance.”

“There’s tough-guy Vera Farkas again,” Petra snorted, just as the door opened, an attendant knocking on it.

“Vera?” the attendant said. “Your party is ready for you in the lobby.”

“Coming,” I said, turning away from the mirror. Petra caught me, a hand on my arm, and when I looked at her, she grinned.

“Proud of you,” she said. “You’ve come a long way. I’ll beat you up another day.”